Position Title: Assistant Manager of Traveling Natural History Programs
Employment Category: Category A
Permanent/Temporary: Permanent
Reports to: Director of Maine School Programs
Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt
Schedule (hours and weeks): Full-time
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Date: March 18, 2022

Reporting to the Director of Maine School Programs, the Assistant Manager of Traveling Natural History Programs is a full-time, year-round position that works within a collaborative and dynamic department. A member of this team is responsible for carrying out Chewonki’s mission through fun, engaging and impactful educational experiences for people of all ages, especially children, while also providing high quality care to resident animal ambassadors. The Assistant Manager of Traveling Natural History will support the overall operations of the Traveling Natural History Programs at Chewonki, help to oversee Science Educators and volunteers, develop, maintain and improve science and natural history curriculum, deliver educational lessons to a variety of audiences, and coordinate care of animal ambassadors. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Help to oversee care of resident animal ambassadors

Learn and manage each animal’s daily feeding and care routine

• Understand and practice safe animal handling techniques
• Demonstrate best practices in teaching with live animals
• Help coordinate and implement routine health checks and veterinary appointments as needed 
• Assist in training new animal ambassadors and maintain training of current animals 
• Keep abreast of current and emerging best practices in animal welfare and enrichment  
• Share rotating weekend and holiday feeding duties with team of colleagues  
• Teach natural history presentations and support curricular goals 
• Teach science and natural history topics to participants (pre K – Senior adults) in a variety of teaching settings 
• Maintain and improve existing curriculum and develop custom programming as needed 
• Continually add to knowledge base and stay abreast of current events as they relate to program topics 
• Maintain knowledge of effective teaching techniques for different ages, audiences, etc. 
• Prioritize friendly, responsive customer service and build positive relationships with audiences and partner organizations
• Help to oversee and support Science Educators and volunteers
• Assist in overseeing Science Educators and adult and youth volunteers
• Support educators and volunteers by providing feedback and encouragement when needed 
• Coordinate weekly schedules for educational programming and animal care 
• Assist in orienting new Chewonki staff to the Traveling Natural History Programs and its resources 
• Help coordinate cross-programmatic activities
• Demonstrate healthy role modeling for participants (i.e. semester students, summer campers, etc.) as a responsible member of Chewonki’s community of educators 
• Help coordinate with other Chewonki programs (i.e. Elementary & Middle School, Maine Coast Semester, Camp Chewonki, Outdoor Classroom, Local Schools and Waypoint) to leverage Traveling Natural History Program curriculum and resources to support program goals and participant experiences Assist with logistical tasks, projects, and community responsibilities 
• Perform administrative duties to support the functioning of the program (digital and written record keeping, creation of systems/policies, scheduling, etc.)
• Collaborate with Administrative Assistant and School Liaison for Education Partnerships to support program booking process 
• Organize/maintain equipment, teaching materials, and physical spaces
• Collaborate with the Director of Maine School Programs to plan, prioritize, and schedule departmental projects 
• Help to implement strategic projects as needed 
• Support the community by participating in chores and events (i.e.. dish crew, snow shoveling, program opening days, etc.) 
• Enhance Chewonki’s mission impact
• Work to honor and uphold the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and a lens of anti-racism in the best interest of participants, constituents, and staff across the organization
• Collaborate with peers to ensure that program delivery and supporting activities continuously evolve in a manner that maximizes opportunities for increased mission impact 
• A willingness to work as a team member among the Traveling Natural History Program team and the greater Chewonki community

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ability to understand and describe all Chewonki Programs and interdepartmental connectedness 
• Contribute to and collaborate with the Chewonki community through committees and foundation wide events
• Attend Chewonki driver training
   

PREREQUISITES

• Ability to lift up to 40 lb.
• Ability to drive long distances (individually or as a team) up to 5 hours; one-way
• Maintain a valid Driver’s License approved by Chewonki’s insurance carrier
• Rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (or commitment to obtain within first 3 months of hire)
• CPR and First Aid Certification (or commitment to obtain within first 6 months of hire)
• The Chewonki Foundation requires that 100% of staff are vaccinated against COVID-19, as allowed for by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Proof of completed COVID-19 vaccination will be required upon acceptance of a job offer.

QUALIFICATIONS

• An undergraduate degree preferably in the fields of science or education
• Comfort in public speaking  
• Experience training and providing high quality care for animals 
• Experience teaching a variety of audiences/age groups 
• Knowledge of effective curriculum design 
• Management/mentoring experience 
• Ability to communicate effectively
• Ability to represent Chewonki in a professional manner
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with different kinds of people
• Values and is capable of receiving and offering honest and timely feedback
• Flexibility, organization, and attention to detail
• Experience using Google Apps for Education
• Candidates must pass a background check

SALARY AND BENEFITS

• Annual salary is based on years of work experience falling within $40,000 - $42,000. Benefits include; health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, optional vision insurance, long-term disability, 403(b) retirement plan (currently matching up to 4.5% after one year of service), paid time off, and access to professional development funds.